Water-cooled slab mold



Oct. 7, 1947- ac. FALK ETAL WATER-COOLED SLAB MOLD Z SheetS-Sheet 1Filed March 24, 1945 5 s 5 r E W n m 4 pm Patented Oct. 7, 1947 UNl'l'EDSTATES PATENT. orr ce wA'rEn-coomn SLAB MOLD Ernest c. Falk and Roberts. Storrs, rel-damn,

Conn, assignors to The American Brass Company, a corporation ofConnecticut Application March 24, 1945, Serial No. 584,614 7 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to water-cooled or chill slab molds, and moreparticularly to molds of the type described in Junker U. S. Patent No.1,615,086. Molds of this type are extensively used for casting slabs ofmetal, such as copper-bearing alloys, which are subsequently reduced tosheets by rolling.

In general, water-cooled slab molds of this type comprise a stationarymold back and a complementary or mating mold front hinged to the moldback and capable of being swung through an arc of 90 or more. Whenclosed, the mold back and front provide a rectangular mold cavity-havingfaces and sides of good heat conductivity, usually plates of copper. Themold faces and usually the mold sides are in contact with circulatingwater, or other suitable cooling medium, flowing through appropriatelyprovided compartments. In our copending patent application Ser. No.522,459, filed February 15, 1944, we have disclosed an improvedconstruction of cooling compartment, for the metal frames of cooled slabmolds, comprising longitudinal and transverse ribbing forming aplurality of vertical channels with a series of vertically spacedpockets, which impart a very active swirling action to the upwardlyflowing cooling medium. I

The present invention is an improvement upon the cooling compartmentstructure disclosed in our aforesaid application, and acontinuationin-part of our companion patent application Ser. No.522,460, filed February 15, 1944.

In the course of our development of and experience with cooled moldsembodying the inventions of the aforementioned applications, we havefound it advantageous, if not in fact necessary for satisfactory andeconomical commercial practice, to provide a heat-resistant packingbetween the side and end walls of the recessed metal frame and theadjacent mold face plate (and cooperating clamp bar when present).Although this packing is relatively thin (usually from to A; inchthick), we found that where the walls of the frame and the outer.surfaces of the longitudinal ribs were machined to-lie in exactly thesame plane, the mold face plate, although of heavy copper, ultimatelyassumed a slightly concave contour and the cast slabs were consequentlythicker at the center and gave trouble in the initial rolling passes.Although it appeared incredible that any conditions of casting couldeven so slightly distort the planar surface of the mold face plate, wedecided to ascertain it slightly lengthening the longitudinal ribs wouldhave any 2 with the provision of such elements the planar surface of themold face was satisfactorily preserved.

Our present invention is based on the foregopressed packing) beyond aparallel plane in which lie the outer surfaces of the side and end wallsof the frame. The foregoing and other novel features of the inventionwill be best understood from the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is atransverse section (section line l-l of Fig. 2) of a five-channel moldembodying the inventions of our aforementioned applications and providedwith the improved recessed metal frame of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the recessed metal frame of the moldback, I

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the frame on the section line 3-3 ofFig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an enlargement of one end of Fig. l. The mold illustrated inthe drawings comprises a stationary mold member A (mold back) and acomplementary mold member B (mold front) pivotally connected together bylinks in and pins ll so that the mold front B can be swung to and fro toclose and open the mold. Thus, the mold front is pivotally mounted atone side of the mold back. Transverse spaced yokes mounted in bracketsIS on the outer face of the mold front B. A link [4 is pivoted to eachend of each yoke. The outer or free end of each link I4 has a head l5adapted to operatively engage slotted lugs It on the sides of thestationary mold back A. When the mold is closed and the heads i5operatively engage their respective slotted lugs I6, the mold members Aand B are clamped together by turning the bolts I1, screw-threaded incentral bosses I8 of each yoke and pressing against aligning wear platesI!) on the outer face of the mold front 3.

The stationary mold back A comprises a rectangular metal frame 20 and arolled copper plate or mold face 2| appropriately securedtherebeneficial effect upon the troublesome distortion to. The frame 20is recessed or hollow to proof the mold face plate. Accordingly, weextended the longitudinal ribs of the recessed frame a distanceapproximate the thickness of the compressed packing by placinghairpin-like elements vide when covered by the plate 2| a channelledcompartment for the cooling medium, such as water. The movable moldfront B similarly comprises a rectangular metal frame 22 and a of sheetbrass over these ribs, and found that rolled copper plate or mold face23. While it desired number of longitudinal ribs.

of iron, they may be made of welded steel or in any other appropriatemanner or of other suitable metal. The-mold face plates 2| and 23 areoperatively secured to their mating frames 20 and 22, respectively, bylongitudinal clamp bars 24, permitting expansion and contraction of theplates, as particularly described and claimed in our aforementionedapplication Serial No. 522,- 460. Each longitudinal side of the copperplates 2| and 23 has a recessed shoulder 25 adapted to be engaged by acooperating or mating shoulder on the clamp bar. The clamp bars 24 aresecured to the side walls of their respective frames (20 and 22) byround headed bolts 26 fitting in counter bored holes in the clamp barsand registering holes in the sidewalls of the frame. The mold sides areformed in two sections consisting of a mold side bar 21 having a tongueand groove connection 28 with a backing bar 29, as particularlydescribed and claimed in our aforementioned patent application Ser. No.522,- 460. Each backing bar 29 is securely held against the adjacentclamp, bar 24 by round headed bolts 30 fitting in counter bored holes inthe backing bar and extending through registering holes in the clampbar. into registering holes in the side walls of the frames. It is to beunderstood that the mold faces 2| and 23 may be secured to their matingframes in any other appropriate manner, as for example by the heretoforecustomary bolts as described inour aforementioned application Ser. No.522,459, and similarly the mold sides may be boltedto the frames asdescribed in that application. The recessed compartments for thecooling.

medium in the frames 20 and 22 are provided with the characteristiclongitudinal and-transverse ribbing disclosed and claimed in ouraforementioned application Ser. No. 522,459. Thus, each frame 20 and 22has a series of spaced longitudinal or vertical ribs 3| dividing therecess in the frame into a plurality of vertical channels. The moldillustrated in the accompanying drawings has four such longitudinal ribsdividing the recess into five vertical channels, but it is to is now ourpreferred practice to cast the frames be understood that the frames mayhave any Each of the five vertical channels has a series of verticallyspaced transverse horizontal ribs 32 forming relatively deep pockets inthe vertical channels formed by the longitudinal ribs 3|. The width ordepth of the longitudinal ribs 3| is substantially the same as the depthof the recess in the frame, while the width or depth of the transverseribs 32 is less than the depth of the recess in the frame, except ashereinafter particularly specified. In other words, the longitudinalribs 3| extend from the back wall of the frame 20 (and 22) into contactwith the adjacent mold face, while the transverse ribs 32 extend fromthe back wall of the frame to within a short distance of the mold faceand thereby permit upward flow of the cooling medium through the spaces(passages) between the transverse ribs and the mold face.

The vertical ribs 3| have transverse openings 33 at their bottoms andtransverse openings 34 at their tops providing communication between thechannels. The thus-communicating channels above the uppermost transverseribs 32 form a transverse outlet manifold communicating with the opentop of a conduit or standpipe 35 positioned in one of the verticalchannels. The

lower end of the standpipe 35 extends through 7 frame 20. The lowermosttransverse ribs 32' are of substantially the same depth as the recess(extending from the back of the frame into contact with the mold face),and the communicat channels below these lowermost transverse ribs form atransverse inlet manifold communicating with an inlet pipe (or opening)31 for cooling medium; Each lowermost transverse rib 32' has a verticalslot or opening 38 graduated in size in accordance with their distancefrom the inlet pipe 31 in order to equalize the pressure and flow ofcooling medium to each of the five vertical channels, as moreparticularly explained in our aforementioned application Ser. No.522,459. The frames 20 and 22 may advantageously bepatent applicationSer. No. 584,613, filed March 24, 1945, wherein a transverse partitiondivides one, or more if desired, of the vertical channels into a frontcooling channel and a rear discharge channel, the latter replacing thestandpipe 35. The inlet and outlet pipes for the cooling medium may bevariously positioned.

The outer surfaces of the side walls 39 and end walls 40 are machined tolie in a common plane indicated by the dotted line a: in Fig. 3. Inaccordance with the present invention, the outer end surfaces of thelongitudinal ribs 3| are similarly machined to lie in a common plane,indicated by the line y in Fig. 3,. parallel with and extending a smallfraction of an inch beyond the plane :0. Additionally, the transverseribs 32 of the two outer vertical channels are of the same depth as thelongitudinal ribs for a short portion (4|) of their width immediatelyadjacent the side walls 39. Accordingly, over this smallpart (4|) oftheir width, the outer end surfaces of the transverse ribs 32 'of thetwo outside vertical channels are machined to lie in the common plane 1of the outer end surfaces of the longitudinal ribs.

are similarly machined to lie in the common plane 1/.

In assembling the mold back and mold front, a sheet of packing 42 is cutto cover the outer surfaces of the side and end walls (39 and 40), andholes are punchedin the packing registering with those in the side andend walls. The packing is then interposed between the outer surfaces ofthe side and end walls and the adjacent surfaces of the mold face plateand cooperating clamp bars, and compressed therebetween by the bolts 26,and the customary bottom and top bolts.

We have found that the packing 42 is more uniformly and satisfactorilycompressed when the clamp bar 24 is provided with a longitudinal rib 43near the outer edge of its surface adjacent the side wall 39. Over thegreater part of its width, the surface of theclamp bar 24 adjacent theside wall 39 lies substantially in the plane 1/, and over the remainderof its width the rib 43 projects to the plane 0:. The rib 43 thuscontacts with the adjacent side wall 39 and serves to confine thepacking 42 and also promotes uniform clamping of the copper face plateas-well as uniform compression of the packing when the bolts 26 aretightened. The extended parts 4! of the transverse ribs also form spacedrestraining shoulders for the packing.

The packing 42 is heat resistant and may be composed principallyofasbestos, good quality rubber, cork or the like. The packing shouldalso be of a character that will minimize friction and factilitatemovement of the mold plate with respect to the frame. Varioussatisfactory types of service packing are available for the purpose.Sheet packing is available 'inany thickness required. With sheet packinghaving an initial thickness of 1 5 inch, the common plane (1/) of I theouter end surfaces of the longitudinal ribs 31, the transverse ribs 32and the parts ll of the other transverse ribs will extend about 0.040inch beyond the common plane (2) of the outer surfaces of the side andend walls 30 and 40. with sheet packing of other thickness, the commonplane y will extend beyond the common plane a: as required to suit thepacking thickness, generally of the order of from 0.030 to 0.080 of aninch.

In any case the distance by which the common plane 1 extends beyond thecommon plane :2: will i be equal to the compressed thickness of thepacking 42.

We claim:

1. A metal frame for a cooled slab mold havin side and end wallsenclosing a recess with the outer surfaces of said walls machined to liein a common plane and having integral longitudinal and transverse ribsdividing the recess into a plurality of longitudinal channels withcommunicating pockets, said machined outer surfaces of the side and endwalls being adapted to have sheet packing compressed thereagainst,characterized in that the outer end surfaces of the longitudinal ribsare machined to lie in a common plane extending beyond said common planeof the outer surfaces of said side and end walls by a, distance equal tothe thickness of .the compressed packing, and further characterized inthat the transverse ribs adjacent each side wallhave over a part oftheir width immediately adjacent the side wall 2. A mold member for acooled slab mold comprising a metal frame having side and end wallsenclosing a recess with the outer surfaces of said walls lying in acommon plane, the planar outer surfaces of said side and end walls beingadapted to have sheet packing compressed thereagainst,

a plurality of longitudinal ribs dividing the recess.

into a plurality of longitudinal channels, a, series extended portionswhose outer end surfaces are machined to lie in the common plane of theouter end surfaces of said longitudinal ribs.

of spaced transvers ribs forming communicating pockets in said channels,the outer end surfaces of said longitudinal ribs lying in a common planeextending beyond said common plane of the outer surfacesof said side andend walls by a distance equal to the thickness of the compressedpacking, a mold face-plate covering the recess in said frame, a clampbar secured to each side wall of said frame and firmly holding the faceplate against the frame, the inner surface of said face plate andmost ofthe adjacent inner surfaces of said clamp bars lying in substantiallythe same plane as the outer suriaces of said longitudinal ribs while theremaining inner surface of each clamp bar lies in substantially the sameplane as the outer surfaces of said side and end walls so that eachclamp bar has an outside longitudinal rib in contact with the surface ofthe adjacent side wall, and a heat-resistant packing interposed betweenthe outer surfaces of said side and end walls and the adjacent surfacesof the sides and ends of said face plate and clamp bars.

ERNEST c. FALK. ROBERT s. STORRS.

REFERENCES crriin The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

